escapist

American  

[ih-skey-pist] / ɪˈskeɪ pɪst /

noun

1. a person who avoids reality by becoming absorbed in entertainment or fantasy.

   I, for one, am an escapist, so pondering whether an anime series is "looking out into the world" isn't something I concern myself with.

2. a person who tries or manages to get out of captivity; an escape artist or escapee.

   In 1864, the celebrated prison escapist Hamilton tunneled his way to freedom with 60 other captured Union officers.

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adjective

1. avoiding reality through entertainment or fantasy, or enabling people to do so.

   His childhood taste for cowboy adventures and escapist films like Tarzan gave way to an admiration for realist European directors.

Etymology

Origin of escapist

escap(e) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Explanation

An escapist is someone who doesn't live in the real world, but dreams, wishes, and fantasizes instead. If you're an escapist, you might avoid thinking about unpleasant things by playing video games for hours. Some escapists can withdraw into their own heads, distracting themselves with daydreams. Other escapists retreat from the world into movies, television, books, games, alcohol, or even exercise. The goal for an escapist is to escape the difficulties of life and their own feelings through these diversions. Escapist and escape are rooted in the Vulgar Latin excappare, literally "leave a pursuer with only one's cape."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

escapist

"Some officials in the United States still have yet to awaken from their escapist and anachronistic dream," she said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss consuming escapist vs. difficult art and the turmoil of modern marriage through The Drama and Beef Season 2.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026

A boom in musical theatre isn't uncommon in troubled times, when audiences want some escapist entertainment, particularly if it tells a story about their own culture.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

Or is there something chaotic in American culture that’s craving brutal, escapist and lore-driven rock again?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2025

So involved was I in my escapist daydreams, I lost all track of the seconds racing by.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer